Food bins are often utilized for holding feed to be provided to chickens. There is starter feed, growing feed and finishing feed. Normally, at least these three sets of feed have somewhat different recipes. Starter feed is normally fed to small chicks. Growing feed is normally fed to growing chickens. Finishing feed is normally fed prior to processing.
Feed is normally stored in bins such as one bin or two bins outside of a chicken house, and then normally dispensed through an auger line into storage hoppers internal to the chicken house(s) where it is then dispensed into individual stations. The individual stations are normally refilled utilizing sensors to assist in replenishing feed as it is taken by the chickens. Once the feed is in the chicken house, the process of refilling stations is normally automated from the hoppers. However, getting the feed into the chicken house normally requires the step of someone crawling underneath the feed bin and manually opening the feed bin boot slide. The boot slide is a bottom slide door on the food bin which then allows the 18,000 pounds or more of feed or other quantities to then be dispensed down on an auger which then can deliver the feed into the chicken house.
The feed bins are either maintained either full or empty. For instance, one might be utilizing one kind of feed. Another kind of feed will be needed at a desired time. When that time arrives, the feed then can be provided to the chickens or at least to the hoppers in the chicken house(s). The empty feed bin is then ready to be refilled. The applicant has grown tired of stooping and/or crawling underneath the feed bin to open the feed bin boot slide. Accordingly improvements over the prior art technology are believed to be desirable.